The notes of Julio Salinas

Alvaro Bautista

World champion 16 years later

Álvaro Bautista showed an example of perseverance and passion for the sport by winning the Superbike world title after finishing second in Race 2 in Indonesia and securing the points he needed with one appointment remaining. He was crowned at the age of 37 for the second time in his career after the 125cc world championship in 2006. The man from Talavera is the first Ducati champion since 2011, when Carlos Checa, also a Spaniard, reigned. In 2019 he held onto it, he never lost hope and his faith was rewarded.

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Robert Lewandowski

Second Golden Boot for more

Robert Lewandowski collected his second consecutive Golden Boot on Wednesday thanks to the 35 goals he scored with Bayern in the 2021-22 Bundesliga. In 2020-21 he won it with 41 goals, also at the German club, and in the current season, already at Barça, he has the numbers to compete for the trophy again: 13 goals in 14 days of LaLiga 2022- 23. And the 2019-20 Golden Boot almost eluded him: 34 goals, two of 36 for Ciro Immobile (Lazio). Surprisingly, he did not appear in the Top-3 of the trophy for the top scorer in European leagues until he was 31 years old. Now, at the age of 34, there is no doubt that Barça were right to sign a striker who makes a difference and can help win titles

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Plains of Ibai

Strong stance against the World Cup

Many have criticized the fact that the World Cup is being played in a country like Qatar, where it is permanently questioned whether it complies with its commitments to human rights, but few have shown a firm position on this matter. It should be recognized that the ‘streamer’ Ibai Llanos, a fashion communicator, showed integrity and courage in this matter by refusing to attend: “The opportunity came for me to board the Spanish plane that soccer team in Qatar to record content , not to live, but it does not come out of my balls and I will not do it “. And he asked his audience a question: “Do you know the number of sponsor, of pasta, of bleaching towards Qatar having places in the World Cup?”

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Sadio Mané

Panic at the most inappropriate injury

It is inevitable. A soccer player competes at risk of injury whether the World Cup is played in winter or summer. But it is true that this time the short break between club competitions and the big event with the Qatar national team makes it impossible for a player with a recent accident to arrive on time, even if it is not too serious. Sadio Mané, for the moment, has avoided being thrown out and will be with Senegal, but with his eyes closed. This is a drama for African football. But the Germans Florian Wirtz, Timo Werner and Marco Reus did not have the same luck, as did the French Paul Pogba and Ngolo Kanté, the Argentine Giovanni Lo Celso or the Portuguese Diogo Jota, besides others. Spain will miss Mikel Oyarzabal.

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Gil Manzano

Controversial action without explanation

It is not about a controversy with the parties that can be sanctioned, because Gerard Piqué has retired. Nor is it a matter of further studying those bad statistics of Gil Manzano with Barça, the team he shows the most reds in his career (10), with dubious goals among his most mediatic stars , since he dismissed Messi, Neymar, Luis Suárez and Lewandowski. What should be investigated is if, as Piqué defends, he really puts insults that he did not say in his mouth in the arbitration act. “It was a phrase from a member of the team in the locker room,” said the defender, arguing that “he fired me earlier for telling him ‘you’re always the same’, but he wanted to put me in six or eight games and add insult to injury.” This is going to be very serious. I must explain this.